Deadly Obsession Read online

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  ‘Could you have been any more pathetic back there? I was almost embarrassed for you,’ Lexie said, once they were out of the apartment block.

  Walking side by side towards the police car, Brad panted heavily to keep up with her.

  ‘What’s the hurry?’

  ‘That’s right, just ignore the issue.’

  ‘What issue?’

  Lexie slowed her step and gave him a look.

  ‘The issue is, I was concerned your eyes were going to pop clear out of your head in there. You couldn’t drag them away from Sasha’s freakishly gigantic breasts. If your wife had been there you would have copped a mammoth forehead slap.’

  Brad laughed, pulling an innocent face.

  ‘Luckily for me Michelle was not there and what else do you expect, Lex? That girl has some seriously inflated fun bags and she was pointing them straight at me.’

  ‘Ohhh God,’ Lexie cried, in exasperation. ‘Sorry to burst your egotistical bubble, but her boobs are so big she can’t help where she points them. They’d enter a room two minutes before the rest of her.’

  Brad roared with laughter.

  ‘So you two used to be friends? I’m guessing from the less than warm reception you received that you’re not anymore.’

  They had reached the car. Lexie jumped behind the wheel while Brad carefully folded himself into the passenger seat. She noted he undid his suit jacket and struggled to get the seatbelt around his ever-expanding girth.

  ‘No; we grew apart, you could say,’ Lexie replied.

  Brad wasn’t buying it.

  ‘What did she do?’

  Lexie shrugged.

  ‘We had a falling out, that’s all. It happens.’

  Lexie punched Melissa McDermott’s mobile number into her phone. It instantly went to voicemail. Listening to the dead girl’s voice asking her to leave a message was eerie.

  ‘Her phone went straight to her message bank. It’s probably dead or turned off.’

  ‘Not surprising,’ Brad said. ‘Now, do you want to tell me about you and Sasha?’

  He was unable to hide his curiosity.

  Lexie shook her head and glanced out the window at the storm clouds rolling across the sky from the west. The temperature seemed to have dropped. Her hands were frozen icicles around the steering wheel. She turned on the ignition to crank up the heating and felt the instant blast of warm air sting her skin before her fingers started to thaw.

  No, she didn’t want to talk to Brad about Sasha. Sasha’s betrayal had left a lasting scar on Lexie’s faith in people. It had made her question loyalties and it had taken her a long time to trust anyone again. She didn’t want to think about the details of their conflict, let alone talk about it. It still hurt too much. But she knew that Brad’s tenacious nature would not allow him drop the subject so easily.

  ‘We went to school together, but Sasha and I were friends by association more than anything else. I didn’t like her at first, but I suppose she grew on me – or I just got used to her. My mum and her mother were friends, so she kind of got pushed on me because Mum felt sorry for her.’

  ‘Why did your mother feel sorry for her?’

  Lexie kept the car idling, letting it warm up.

  ‘Sasha’s father died before she was born in a car accident and her twin sister had been stillborn. Due to the tragedies she had been through, Mrs Hemming tended to be overprotective of Sasha – that’s what Mum said, anyway. But as a result she was spoilt and could be very possessive. She seemed to always want what I had. But there are some things you don’t share with even your closest friends.’

  Brad stared at her wide eyes, waiting for her to continue. Lexie didn’t. She couldn’t. Her mind was already somewhere else.

  It had been the worst time of Lexie’s life. The end of her friendship with Sasha was only one thing. Worse than anything she could have imagined was the loss of her brother, who’d been killed in the line of duty, leaving their family totally devastated. Soon after this, her marriage had fallen apart. Then, to top it all off, she had been attacked and stabbed in a back laneway of Kings Cross by a drug-crazed bikie. In a short space of time Lexie’s world as she knew it had changed forever.

  That was when the panic attacks started.

  Her hand unconsciously travelled to the jagged scar tissue on the side of her neck. It hadn’t taken long for the police psychologist to diagnose Lexie with post-traumatic stress disorder; another devastating blow to her already fragile state.

  Post-traumatic stress affected many a good police officer – too many. Lexie was determined that it would not destroy her. With counselling and through learning new skills, she was assured the fear and anxiety that had suddenly infused every waking moment of her life would pass. It was just that her usual high tolerance to handling stress had weakened due to the series of traumatic events she had experienced.

  It was when Lexie had survived the worst of her emotional tsunami that fate had stepped in and thrown her into a working partnership with Detective Sergeant Josh Harrison. Life had started to look good, really good again . . . then she was shot.

  Normally Lexie didn’t allow herself to think about it, but today her past had come back to haunt her present and it seemed her ability to block unpleasant memories had diminished. She heard the roaring in her ears, felt the pounding of her heart and then the flashback was upon her like a punch to the face.

  She was back in her friend, Dani’s, apartment. Her workmates, and, it emerged, partners in crime, Harry Burgh and Sue Field, had her imprisoned, trapped with no hope of escape. Lexie heard the shot ring out. She waited for the pain to hit. It didn’t. Not yet. What she saw was Detective Sergeant Harry Burgh’s shocked face – half of which was now splattered across the walls and ceiling – before his body hit the ground in front of her with a thud.

  Then, Sue Field had the gun pointed at her. Lexie shook her head in an attempt to clear the vision. It didn’t work.

  Re-living the moment was so real. Lexie saw the twisted and contorted face of Sue Field, her malevolent eyes drilling into her with hatred. She broke out in a hot sweat. Her heart was beating too fast. Then another shot reverberated around the walls. Lexie smelt the gunpowder, felt the pain of the bullet rip through her body.

  An involuntary gasp escaped her lips before she could stop it.

  Brad touched her arm in a familiar manner.

  ‘Are you okay? Sorry, Lex, I didn’t mean to upset you. Forget I asked what happened. It doesn’t matter.’

  At the sound of Brad’s voice, the image dissipated as fast as it had appeared. She sucked in a long breath and exhaled gradually, slowing her heartbeat.

  ‘You didn’t upset me,’ she lied.

  Life had got back on track after her shooting. Lexie had recovered quickly, physically and mentally, thanks to Josh. And for the next six months she had never been happier. Her relationship blossomed. She loved her work and had settled into Bondi Junction detectives’ office, even after all the initial drama. Even her mum had given up pressuring her to leave the police force. Things were great.

  Until Josh’s sister, Jenna, died.

  Why was her life like a bloody soap opera?

  Brad gave her a playful punch in the arm. He had picked up on her sombre mood.

  ‘Come on, Lex, brighten that sad face. You’re the toughest chick I know. Don’t let the past get you down.’

  Lexie sighed, allowing a moment to feel sorry for herself.

  ‘Haven’t you figured out my hard shell is all just an act?’ she joked.

  ‘Yeah, I have. I was just being nice. Don’t want you to fall apart on me.’

  He gave her a wink.

  ‘Just joshin’ ya. There is no one I’d rather work with, Lex, so let’s get to it. What’s next?’

  Joshin’ ya? Why did everything lead back to Josh? Even a simple Aussie expression reminded her of the man who had left her.

  Lexie suddenly slumped in her seat. All the air seemed to leave her
body at once as an overwhelming feeling of guilt weighed heavily on her shoulders. Who was she to be feeling sorry for herself when there was a family in England about to have their world ripped apart?

  Get a grip! Focus!

  ‘Okay, let’s go straight to the Royal Hotel and speak to this licensee our deceased was seeing – casually.’

  Lexie’s mind was back on track.

  ‘He may be the last person who saw her alive.’

  Brad nodded and looked down at the list he held in his hand.

  ‘While you drive I’ll call the Boss, give her an update and pass on the names on this list. The team in the office can start checking them out.’

  ‘Copy that,’ Lexie replied.

  Checking the road was clear, she pulled out of her parking spot and started towards Randwick.

  ‘Give the Boss the family’s address so someone can get on to Interpol and ask the English cops to deliver the bad news.’

  Pulling out her notebook from the pocket of her coat, she passed it to Brad.

  ‘Also, a canvass around the hotel needs to be done. Tell Casey the nurses are going to identify the body and Zack Rogers − no, don’t say his last name.’

  Lexie knew Casey Blair was very switched on. She might inquire about a connection.

  ‘Just say a paramedic who knew the deceased is going to be interviewed later today.’

  Lexie had already arranged to meet Zack at the hospital at 5.00 pm to obtain a statement.

  ‘Don’t mention he’s my ex-husband at this stage.’

  Brad gave her a look.

  ‘Casey might see your relationship with him as being a conflict of interest, Lex. You had better tell her.’

  ‘I’ll tell her, Brad. But not just yet.’

  Brad raised his eyebrows.

  ‘O . . . kay.’

  While he made the call, Lexie focused on the road and attempted to block out her partner’s booming voice so she could concentrate and map out a plan in her head. They would interview the licensee and see where that led; then they would head to the morgue to get the ID out of the way; then, if they had time before the briefing this afternoon, they could head back to the crime scene, see how the forensic guys were going; then after the briefing she would interview Zack. Now, that would be interesting and awkward to say the least.

  ‘Can we drive past McDonald’s?’

  Brad had finished phoning the office and was rubbing his stomach

  ‘I’m starving.’

  Lexie shot him a killer look. So far today Brad had consumed a muffin, a Mars Bar, a packet of potato chips and a meat pie and was still complaining about the gnawing emptiness of his stomach.

  ‘How about we get a roll after we’re finished at the morgue,’ she suggested, pulling up outside the pub. ‘We’re here now.’

  Brad groaned, ‘You are seriously no fun sometimes, Lexie, you know that.’

  Lexie laughed, feeling lighter in mood for the first time in hours.

  ‘I promise that you won’t fade away any time soon. Besides, you told me I’m the boss, so you have to do as I say, detective. Now, let’s go interview this licensee. The faster we do our job the sooner you can eat . . . again.’

  CHAPTER 6

  The lunchtime crowd at Randwick’s Royal Hotel could only be described as diverse. Patrons included medical staff from the hospital, young backpackers, retired locals, office workers in suits, and tradesmen in fluorescent shirts.

  Varying accents blended with music from the jukebox and gave the place an overall atmosphere of festivity. With the weekend lurking just around the corner, people already seemed to be celebrating the end of the working week.

  Not that Lexie, Brad or any other members of her team would be enjoying rest days any time soon. Actually, the less time she had to do anything rather than contemplate her life right now, the better. She had already wasted too much precious time over the past four weeks curled on her lounge in her favourite tracksuit drinking wine, eating chocolate and feeling sorry for herself.

  Don’t think of Josh.

  Concentrate on your career, she told herself. Enjoy your life, you are lucky to be here, so make the most of it.

  With a determined lift of her jaw, Lexie headed towards the bar. A skinny young waitress wearing black skin-tight pants and a midriff top that proudly displayed abdominals of steel, gave her the once-over.

  ‘Can I see the licensee, please?’ Lexie asked pleasantly.

  Brad stood back, letting her take the lead this time.

  ‘Do you want a drink?’ the waitress asked her, sharply.

  ‘No thanks, I don’t want a drink. I’d like to see the licensee, please,’ Lexie repeated her request, this time flashing her police badge. This caused a not-so-surprising change of attitude. The air of superiority disappeared and was replaced by pleasant compliance. Amazing!

  The girl headed into the back room. Minutes later she returned with an average-looking guy who appeared to be in his early thirties. He had thinning red hair and a scattering of freckles across his face. He gave Lexie and Brad a welcoming smile as, extending his hand, he introduced himself.

  ‘Hi, I’m the licensee, Matt Talbott. How can I help you?’

  His cockney accent was as thick as mud.

  Lexie took his hand first.

  ‘I’m Detective Lexie Rogers from Bondi Junction detectives and this is my partner, Detective Sergeant Brad Sommers. Is there somewhere we can talk privately?’

  Matt Talbott quickly shook Brad’s hand, then glanced at the skinny waitress who was noticeably staring at the proceedings.

  ‘I’ll be in a meeting, Carly, if anyone wants me.’

  She nodded and he turned back to them.

  ‘Follow me. I’ve got an office out the back.’

  This guy is used to dealing with police, Lexie thought. He appeared self-assured and certainly not intimidated or even surprised by their presence. Then again, police were always having dealings with licensed premises, so that probably explained his ease in the situation.

  Talbott showed Lexie and Brad into a large, but chaotic office. Gesturing for them to take a seat on a small lounge, he fell into a leather chair behind a large mahogany desk.

  Lexie watched him closely as she went over the lines she had rehearsed in her head. She had delivered enough death messages to know there was no easy way to tell someone that a person they knew or loved was dead. Lexie was just about to commence her spiel when Matt Talbott spoke first.

  ‘Have we met before?’

  Lexie was put off for a moment. He was studying her like a specimen in a jar.

  ‘Um, I don’t think so.’

  ‘I’m sure I’ve seen you before. I don’t forget a face. Especially one that is as pretty as yours.’

  He gave her a wide smile.

  Lexie was uncomfortable with his overly familiar manner. She needed to keep things purely professional.

  ‘I come here occasionally, socially with friends. You’ve probably seen me then. Now, I’m sorry, but we are here for a reason and we need to get back on track. Can I ask you some questions?’

  ‘Sure, sure, anything for a beautiful lady,’ he chuckled and winked at Brad.

  Lexie decided to ignore the flirting, guessing his attitude would change soon enough.

  ‘Do you know a girl named Melissa McDermott?’

  Matt Talbott did not hesitate.

  ‘Yes, I know Melissa. She was here last night.’

  ‘How do you know her?’

  ‘She comes in here all the time, know what I mean?’

  He gulped down some water from a bottle next to him.

  ‘She’s a big party girl. Loves a drink. We had a big one last night, actually. That’s why I’m on the water today. Feeling a bit second-hand, know what I mean?’

  ‘Can you tell me the nature of your relationship?’

  For the first time the cocky confidence waned.

  ‘Um, we are friends, I suppose you could say.’

  Clearly frien
ds with benefits, Lexie thought.

  ‘Was your friendship with Melissa purely platonic?’

  ‘No,’ he replied, looking proud of himself.

  ‘So it was of a sexual nature?’

  ‘Yes, it was. Why all the personal questions?’

  Talbott was frowning now.

  ‘Could you please just answer the questions? I’ll tell you in due course what this is about.’

  This was part of her plan. To get as much information out of him as possible, then tell him the bad news and see what happened. However, her gut instinct was already telling her he was not their killer.

  ‘Okay, you’re the police so I’ll do as you ask. Melissa is a wild girl with a reputation for wanting to please, know what I mean?’

  Talbott looked around the room as he said this, apparently not wanting to meet their eyes.

  ‘Last week she was here drinking and flirting with me like crazy. I was working at the time, but that didn’t stop her. She followed me in here, took her clothes off. I resisted at first but she talked me around.’

  He glanced at Brad and shrugged his shoulders.

  ‘What do you do? She threw herself at me. We shagged against the wall, over there.’

  He pointed to the back corner of the room as though it was confirmation of the deed committed there.

  Lexie risked a quick glance at Brad. He was poker-faced.

  ‘So what happened last night?’

  ‘I didn’t see her again until last night. She came in here with some other nurses. They were having a drink and—’

  ‘Do you know the girls she was with?’

  ‘Yeah, her flatmate; can’t remember her name. She’s tall, slim, brown hair but real straight, doesn’t drink much, doesn’t say much. Know what I mean? The other one is Sasha.’

  He leant forward, instantly animated.

  ‘She’s loud, short, more . . . round.’

  He gestured with his hands, moving them in a semi-circular motion – indicating large breasts. Matt Talbott looked at Brad.

  ‘She has massive boobs.’

  He looked back at Lexie and shrugged.